Check it out - David Hoffman has written a book 'The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy' which reveals a far different tale of the arms race than what we were told or what we assumed.

Are there any other instances in American history where outlandish exaggeration was used to boost a military effort.

The investigation from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office, which is at a preliminary stage, stemmed from a referral from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the probe

Quarterly earning from oil majors Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips will be in focus, with analysts expecting the firms to post earnings per share of $1.41 and $1.38 respectively, up from $0.92 and $0.52 a year ago on a steady rise in oil prices over the period.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche "We must be willing to be completely ordinary people, which means accepting ourselves as we are without trying to become greater, purer, more spiritual, more insightful. If we can accept our imperfections as they are, quite ordinarily, then we can use them as part of the path. But if we try to get rid of our imperfections, then they will be enemies, obstacles on the road to our 'self-improvement'."

''On a day that elephant meat is available in the village, it is eagerly snapped up and sells out in no time,'' said Uncle Pao, 73, from Wiang Thong village in Sung Men district where elephant meat costs 100 baht a kilogramme. ''Nobody wants to buy other kinds of meat.''

Despite the cultural cringe of the national symbol finding its way on to the dinner plates of villagers, the people of Wiang Thong have no remorse about consuming elephant meat when they can.

Their ancestors had a close relationship with the animals which were used for logging, and the consumption of a carcass is simply viewed as the elephant providing sustenance for the villagers. The local governor believes it can become a tourist attraction, and the practice of eating elephant meat is already attracting curious onlookers from neighbouring provinces.

"We only eat meat from dead elephants," said Mr Sanan.

The latest survey shows there are no more than 5,000 elephants in the country and it is predicted that if no serious effort is made to help save them, they could become extinct within 14 years, Mr Saksit said.

At 8:10 a.m. futures are slightly up, oil is down just above $81 per barrel, and the dollar is up against the euro.

Speaking of the euro, yikes. Greece's debt is now officially junk. The fear is that Portugal and I suspect Ireland are next up for a severe dose of insolvency issues. And let's not forget about crumpling Iceland. Iceland is part of the E.U.

I can't go near this Goldman testimony. Dog and pony crap show it is. The headlines alone are irritating - "we did nothing wrong." Screw you, take your Harvard and Wharton MBA's and place them up your derivative.

What a crock - we did nothing wrong. What do you do with that. Okay all we did was to cause a little systemic problem that caused millions to lose their jobs and just about everyone in the country to lose asset value. Look at the bright side - there are a whole new group of billionaires in the world and considering the amazing benefits of "trickle down", entire families of illegal immigrants can mow lawns, prune shrubs, scrub toilets, and provide master with nookie.

Researchers measured the hormone levels of 14 volunteers before and after they watched a distressing or hilarious video clip. The researchers were particularly interested in two hormones known to regulate appetite: ghrelin, which spurs hunger, and leptin, which cues satiety.

The appetite hormones did not change significantly as people watched the upsetting video (the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan.")

But after the amusing video clip — either of stand-up comedians or a funny film — hormone levels changed as if the participant had engaged in moderate physical exercise. Specifically, ghrelin levels rose and leptin levels fell, indicating a possible increase in appetite. The lower leptin levels would mean the body isn't getting the "I'm full" message.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are slightly down, oil is down per barrel, and the dollar is mixed.

It would seem that the markets present sideways movement is the result of a push pull effect.

First quarter profits seem to be on track and in some cases better than expected, this is the push it forward activity.

On the other hand investors fear havoc in Europe with Greece's insolvency and they fear that there will be more merde against the fan with the SEC vs. Goldman issues, which by the way is a huge issue. This is the center of the recent recession and collapse of the economy. So its a big deal. Regardless this is the pull backward.

Hoping we get through today with at least more sideways than down. There are always surprises.

Today, several small missiles are available to the agency, including the 21-inch Small Smart Weapon, created by Lockheed Martin. Weighing 35 pounds and having roughly the diameter of a coffee cup, the Scorpion, as it is now called, was designed to be launched from the Predator. It causes far less destruction than a Hellfire, and it can be fitted with four different guidance systems that allow it to home in on targets as small as a single person, in complete darkness, according to U.S. officials familiar with the missile.

The price of solar panels has dropped substantially, and the Midwest’s traditionally low electricity prices are on the rise.

The payback time for a solar panel project had plummeted from 25 years to just 10 years.

To be sure, solar energy remains in its infancy in the U.S., providing only 1/1000th of the country’s electricity generation. But the amount of solar-generated electricity in U.S. homes doubled last year, and a growing number of businesses are jumping in. FedEx recently installed the largest rooftop solar installation in the country in Woodbridge, N.J., and Wal-Mart has solar installations supplying power to about 20 of its stores.

The articles express the investors concerns over Greece and its ongoing insolvency issues and the SEC's case against Goldman. With respect to Goldman, the investors are worried that the accusations could go beyond Goldman. In other words is this the tip of the iceberg.

Are you kidding me...

The week will be filled with corporate first quarter results.

If I were a politician I would be out there with slogans like - "Let's get America back to work" or "We need jobs in this country not bailouts" or "Washington DC has made itself rich and left you broke - let's make a difference and get some real change" or ....

I could be on overload lately. I no longer know how to comment on certain stories that I read.

What I can say is this, like you, I read through the news. When I stumble across a story or article that seems particularly poignant in some way, I post it on this blog. Obviously I can only point out so many stories or articles. I have time constraints and a real life as well.

We all love women, so this one seems terribly sad. I think sexual freedom is a human right. These Arab women are going to doctors to become surgical virgins in order to essentially spare their internal and external anguish over having had sex out of marriage. And it gets worse, they could be sparing their lives.

We say garbage. You can't handle the reality that your wife had sex with someone other than you - grow up.

Young Arab women wait in an upmarket medical clinic for an operation that will not only change their lives, but quite possibly save it. Yet the operation is a matter of choice and not necessity. It costs about 2,000 euros (£1,700) and carries very little risk.

The clinic is not in Dubai or Cairo, but in Paris. And the surgery they are waiting for is to restore their virginity.

Whether in Asia or the Arab world, an unknown number of women face an agonising problem having broken a deep taboo. They've had sex outside marriage and if found out, risk being ostracised by their communities, or even murdered.

The comedian’s widow gave this talk at the Patients Out of Time conference on cannabis therapeutics in Santa Barbara April 7.If Rodney were here today he would say something brilliant. He would probably open with a marijuana joke. He’d say, “I tell ya, that marijuana really has an effect on you. The other day I smoked a half a joint and I got so hungry, I ate the other half.”Rodney had a fantastically unique mind. Few people knew he was a mathematical genius, but everyone knew he was hilarious. His humor was a razor thrust into social hypocrisy and the little injustices of life. He wrote “killers” and made the world laugh.Another thing that was not widely known about Rodney is that he endured quite a bit of personal suffering in his life. He was heartbreakingly neglected as a child. We’ve all heard the expression “the tears of a clown,” and in many ways Rodney embodied that experience. Like most geniuses, the special chemistry that created his remarkable mind also created certain psychological challenges. Acute anxiety and manic depression were congenital issues that plagued Rodney’s life.To give you an idea of how his anxiety would manifest itself, Rodney couldn’t sit still. In Caddyshack, his character, Al Cervic, is constantly fidgeting like he’s about to burst out of his skin. The truth is, this was no act. Rodney was under duress. He felt Chevy Chase was talking too slowly and it got on his nerves. Rodney’s impatience would come out through his body. The pace of the whole world was too slow for him until he found marijuana.Rodney first lit up back in 1942 when he was 21. He was hanging out with a comic named Bobby Byron and his friend Joe E. Ross —some of you might remember Joe E. Ross from Car 54. They went to the Belvedere Hotel in New York where Bobby lived. The night would prove to have such an impact on Rodney’s life that he even remembered the room number they were in —1411.Although he was supposed to be enjoying himself with friends, Rodney was characteristically agitated and anxiety ridden. It’s how he felt every day of his life to that point. But when Rodney got high, he couldn’t believe it.For the first time in his life, he left relaxed and peaceful, and had a sense of well-being. That night marijuana became a new friend that would be in Rodney’s life for the next 62 years.I met Rodney in 1983, and after a 10-year courtship, Rodney and I enjoyed 11 years of marriage. I must admit that when I became a part of Rodney’s life, I did not approve of his marijuana use. My Mormon background hadn’t given me experience with any illegal substances and I was always afraid Rodney would get arrested.Rodney was concerned about my feelings and agreed to look for legal alternatives to treat his ailments. Over the years we consulted the best experts we could find in search of legal anti-anxiety and pain medications and even tried Marinol. But nothing worked for him the way real marijuana did.A couple of years ago Rodney was in the process of writing his autobiography, in which he wanted to be very candid about everything in his life. He even wanted to title the book “My Lifelong Romance with Marijuana.”I was sure then that Rodney would be arrested. So I looked for, and found, Dr. David Bearman here in Santa Barbara.Dr. Bearman examined Rodney and obtained records from Rodney’s other doctors for review. In addition to his anxiety and depression, at the time Rodney’s medical conditions included constant pain from the congenital fusion of his spine, an inoperable dislocated shoulder and rotator-cuff tear and arthritis. Rodney wasn’t able to take traditional pain medications because of their interactions with his blood-thinning medication, Coumadin.

We were elated a few days after that initial visit with Dr. Bearman when Rodney’s medicinal use was approved. Rodney showed the approval letter to everyone and carried miniature versions in his pockets. Ever the worried wife, I included a copy of the letter in the memory box of his casket in case the feds were waiting for him at the Pearly Gates.Even though Rodney endured numerous health challenges over the years, including aneurysms, heart surgeries and a brain bypass, he remained active and vital during his last incredible year. He swam regularly, went on a multi-city press tour to promote his best-selling book (the publisher made him change the title to “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me”), recorded an album of love songs called “Romeo Rodney,” and wrote countless new jokes.After all those years of pot smoking, his memory and his joke-writing ability did not suffer and his lungs were okay. He was as sharp as ever.Even moments after brain surgery Rodney didn’t miss a beat. Rodney’s doctor came to his bedside after he was taken off the respirator. He said, “Rodney, are you coughing up much?” And Rodney said, “Last week, five-hundred for a hooker.”Some of you may be aware that 4:20 is a symbolic time of day for many marijuana enthusiasts. About a year after Rodney’s brain surgery, he had heart surgery and due to complications his life ended... Coincidentally, or perhaps meaningfully, at 4:20 p.m. EST.

Conor Friedersdorf thinks the problem lies with the conservative movement's major spokespeople -- its radio/net news nexus -- and the "overwhelming evidence that their very existence as popular entertainers hinges on an ability to persuade listeners that they are "'worth taking seriously as political and intellectual actors.'" That is why the constant failures of these men to live up to their billing is so offensive, destructive, and ruinous to conservatives. There are plenty of women, too, is all I'll say.

All of the major U.S. cell phone carriers have recycling programs, and your discarded phone could end up being of use to someone else.

Cell phone recycling or "reprocessing" as industry experts like to say, may mean the cell phone is refurbished and then resold, or dismantled and used for parts. In some cases, phones are reduced to their essential components and reused. The goal is always "zero-landfill," meaning no part of a device is discarded in a landfill.

Its been a long week, looking forward to Saturday morning laze. Hopefully the weather will be gorgeous and amazing, I'm afraid to look at the forecasts. All in all its been a very mild and generous Spring.

At 7:20 a.m. ET futures are slightly up. The on the spot articles suggest that the market will open higher.

The story reverts back to Greece and its serious financial woes. Apparently there is a day coming up in May when Greece is expected to pay up and the concern is that its not going to happen. Once again Greece has made an announcement that it will borrow and pay. Is this dejavu all over again?

Basically the first quarter report are showing investors the money. There is no other bottom line. The green light is on.

Thanks to the expansion of portable electronics, battery use has proliferated exponentially. They contain a range of harmful chemicals, and when improperly disposed of, those toxic chemicals leach into ground water, poisoning humans and wildlife, said Cohen.

At 7:15 a.m. futures are moderately down, the price of oil is down, and the dollar is mixed.

If we are adding up the weight on the market right now its Europe, China, and reform. First quarter results have been on pace. One gets the sense that investors are happy with the DOW at 11k.

Internationally, Greece and now Ireland are weighing on investor's minds as those countries are in the red, deep. Its about the E.U. and the euro, and the world economy for that matter.

Obama is talking reform. In my opinion reform is just a new set of obstacles that a new generation of MBA's will find loopholes for. That is provided the next Republican administration doesn't remove any reform initiative. Who am I kidding, that should read, until the next Republican administration removes any Obama initiatives.

In Yushu prefecture, Tibetans are the majority. I was a bit surprised to see people walking around with small Dalai Lama buttons pinned to their jackets, and vehicles with pictures of the Dalai Lama hanging from the rearview mirror.

Several people came up to us and said that immediately after the quake, the Chinese soldiers in the area didn't do anything to help them -- allegations that the government has denied.

The locals said Tibetan monks were first on the scene and helped dig their loved ones out of collapsed buildings. Even in times such as these, the deep-rooted distrust between ethnic Tibetans and Han Chinese was never very far from the surface.

U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday as oil prices lifted energy shares and investors were upbeat about the overall corporate profits recovery, even as some the results of some high-profile companies fell short of lofty expectations.

"I think if you exercise, your state of mind - my state of mind - is usually more at ease, ready for more mental challenges. Once I get the physical stuff out of the way it always seems like I have more calmness and better self-esteem." - Stone Gossard

"In the mental calmness of a spiritual life, I have found that the answers to the whys in our lives are able to come to you. In my music I find the same thing." - Clarence Clemons

"Nothing is so aggravating than calmness." - Oscar Wilde

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom." - James Allen

At 6:40 a.m. futures are ever so slightly up, oil is up, and the dollar is mixed. Speaking of oil, the price per barrel has been remarkably stable in the $81 to $84 per barrel area. The projected oil bubble is not off and running quite yet.

Goldman will be revealing first quarter profits before the opening bell. The results are alleged to be off the hook.

The fraud charges against Goldman are still mentioned in the pre-market reports. Curious, remarkable, one would suspect that is water under the bridge. Some reports indicate that Goldman will settle, no undue attention is needed thank you very much. We predicted a public wrist slap and that's what it will be. May I suggest a symbolic fine of $1.

First quarter reports have been reasonably good, one would suspect that will continue today.

U.S. government fraud accusations against Goldman Sachs have soured market sentiment since Friday, but European equities and U.S. stock futures edged higher, indicating investors are instead focusing on the bank's corporate earnings due later.

Notice that the DOW did an amazing about face today. Futures were down 140 to 150 points and the DOW closed 70+ points above Friday's close. That's quite a swing in one day. This is unusual to say the least.

Reuters is reporting a similarly amazing reasoning for the change based on how the SEC determined to bring a case against Goldman. The vote was 3-2 along party lines. Every single America should know this fact especially Tea Party folk. The idea here is that it was not a 100% determined case and so that is cause for optimism.

Market watchers attributed some of the strength in the market to a Bloomberg report that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had split 3-2 along party lines to approve an enforcement case against Goldman Sachs, citing two people with knowledge of the vote.

"The fact that the vote was close has been the proximate cause for the stock's rally. This means it wasn't a clear cut decision by the SEC..."

The problem is also not new by any means. What exactly is the alternative?

The Republicans are now angling to capitalize on this distrust with the new name brand.

The deeper underlying problem is the understanding and knowledge of the average citizen. The electorate is treated as a child in front of competing candy stores, while simultaneously lacking the patience to look behind those facades.

A key finding: Americans oppose greater government control over the economy by a margin of 51-40 percent.

That's a reversal from just a year ago, when they supported greater government control by a margin of 54-37 percent.

There's one big exception, however. A solid majority, 61 percent, do want greater government regulation of the financial industry, something that Obama and the Democratic majorities in Congress are pushing now.

Hope you had a nice weekend. It was a little chilly and overcast up here, but all in all it was a fine Saturday and Sunday.

At 7:22 a.m. futures are significantly down. We haven't seen futures fall to this degree in quite some time. We are talking DOW futures down between 140 and 150 points. That is volatile.

Oil is also down over $2 per barrel. The dollar is mixed.

It would be an easy bet that the markets will open down today. It would take a miracle for something different to occur.

CITI and IBM will be presenting first quarter results. However the big story is last Friday's story. It is the SEC pointing fraud charges at Goldman. Goldman sold bad mortgage debt as a good security and then bet that that same mortgage debt would fail. Goldman essentially made money on both transactions while the world's banking system melted down.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Sunday expressed confidence that lawmakers will bridge partisan differences on the overhaul of financial regulations and pass a bill that protects taxpayers from financing future bailouts.

It boils down to two things at the moment. First is the SEC action against Goldman. Second are a slew of first quarter reports. From the investor point of view the former is confusing and the latter is positive.

I still maintain nothing will happen other than a public slap on the wrist for Goldman. Most people won't even be paying attention...

Notice the pictures of a Bud Light turnkey pot trailer. Its all you need to grow your own. Wondering if it truly is produced by Budweiser. If true, this would suggest that big business is far more involved with pot than I imagined. Makes sense right...

T.J. Sheen, who lost his leg in an accident and now wears a prosthetic, smokes marijuana during the International Cannabis & Hemp Expo on Saturday, April 17, 2010, in Daly City, Calif. The event featured speakers, panel discussions, growing aids, smoking paraphernalia and an area for people with medical marijuana cards to light up.

This is a re-post, but its still kinda cool. These images terrified the censors. Clearly if allowed in the films, these scenes would have caused mass pandemonium with people fornicating in the streets like some de Sade fantasy...